Tramping in New Zealand is amazing.
Tramping is a word used in New Zealand. Tramping means hiking, backpacking, walking in the nature.
First blog entry of our New Zealand trip, I describe the features of tramping in New Zealand.
Trampers in New Zealand can see a variety of scenery: glaciers,
snow-capped mountains, dry ridges, vast fields of grasses, rivers,
lakes, ocean, volcanoes, rain forests, deep green forests, etc. It is
more than people expect.
Trails are generally challenging due to its rocky terrain with many
small ups and down everywhere and of course big ups and downs for high
mountains. It is tough but at the same time it is quite rewarding.
Good conditioned and well maintained trails are called tracks, and more
challenging and less maintained ones are called routes. However, normal
fit hikers have usually no problems tramping on routes. I did a lot of
tramping on the routes.
Trails in New Zealand are very well organized and information can be
easily found. Department of Conservation (DOC) regulates and maintains
all the trails. Each town and each National parks has DOC visitor centre
and people there know very well about trails and really nice to
visitors. It is important to check out those DOC visitor centres before
tramping, because there are frequent trail closure in New Zealand.
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| Trail sign |
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| Trail sign |
Trails are well marked. As you can see in the left picture, there is an orange arrow sign on the tree. In the picture trail is going to turn right, the arrow is pointing right. Above bush line (in New Zealand a tree line is called a bush line), orange poles are used as you can see in the right picture. It is a bush line in the right picture. For the first arrow sign to enter the forest, the arrow sign is a little bigger than usual arrow sign. It is well thought.
The New Zealand weather pattern is closely related to trail
closure/open. In general, New Zealand gets a lot of rain, especially on
the west coast. That causes land slides. Indeed a week before our
arrival, 200 mm of rain (nearly 8 inches) per day continued 7
consecutive days on the west coast. This caused land slides and led to
20 days of road closure, which is a critical access road to the west.
Also this large amount of rain resulted in many track closure including
our planned hikes. We had a booking for the hut on the closed trail, so
we went to DOC centre and got a refund.
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| Heating at a hut |
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| Bunk bed a hut |
Huts culture is well established in New Zealand. There are a number of
huts along the trail or sometimes off-trails. Huts for "Great Walks"
(mentioning later) are very expensive: average $135 per adult, half the
price for NZ residents. Great Walks huts are required to book in
advance, usually 6 months in advance (!). Serviced huts are $15 per
adult per night. Serviced huts usually have a warden during peak
seasons, and there are heating (wardens provide coals/logs), kitchen
area, sink, water (need to boil or treat), toilet ("long drop"), bunks
with mattress. You can buy hut tickets at visitor centres. One ticket is
$5. So for example you will give a warden 3 tickets for staying at a
serviced hut. For a standard hut, there is a box to put a ticket in.
As I mentioned above, Great Walks are featured hikes certified by DOC.
In total there are 10 Great Walks (3 on North island, and 6 on South
island, 1 on Stewart Island /Rakiura). Mostly 3-5 days hike per Great Walks, and because freedom camp
(camping on the random place like do in Sierra) are not permitted along
Great Walks, you need to stay at huts or camping area in front of huts.
Most of Great Walks are not a loop, so you need to arrange a car
shuttle, which is expensive too. I am sure those Great Walks are great,
but personally the hut costs (and even camping in front of huts) are
rip-off. Great Walk huts provide mattress, and basic kitchen area, no
food, and $135?? Wow. European huts provide dinner and breakfast and
shower and bunk bed for $70-80. Humm. There are many many great walks
(non-capital) in New Zealand, so we did a number of amazing great walks
outside of "Great Walks".
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